Battery pack

Abstract

There is provided a battery pack including: a battery cell including an electrode assembly and an outer material having a space portion in which the electrode assembly is accommodated and a platform portion from which an electrode tab electrically connected to the electrode assembly protrudes; a protection circuit module electrically connected to the battery cells and disposed on the platform portion; and an insulating portion between the protection circuit module and the platform portion and between the space portion and the protection circuit module.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0037605 filed on March 19, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] An aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a battery pack. Background Art

[0003] Unlike primary batteries, which are not designed to be (re)charged, secondary (or rechargeable) batteries are designed to be discharged and recharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small portable electronic devices (such as smartphones, feature phones, notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders), while large-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as power sources for driving motors in hybrid and electric vehicles and for storing electricity (e.g., home and / or utility-scale electricity storage). Secondary batteries typically include an electrode assembly consisting of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a casing that houses the electrode assembly, and electrode terminals connected to the electrode assembly.

[0004] Secondary batteries include an electrode assembly and an outer material that houses the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate. The outer material can be divided into a circular type, a prismatic type, a pouch type, etc. according to its shape.

[0005] The pouch-type secondary battery includes a laminated pouch that can be relatively easily deformed into various shapes and has a small weight, and may further include a protection circuit module mounted on one side of the laminated pouch to control charge and discharge of the battery.

[0006] The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute related (or prior) art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure include a battery pack that can be capable of relatively increasing the size of a cell space and relatively increasing the capacity by reducing the thickness of the tape applied to the cell space and the platform, and being overall thinned by reducing the thickness of the tape on the protection circuit module side.

[0008] Aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure include a battery pack that can mitigate the risk of short circuiting an electrode assembly by preventing or reducing compression of cell spaces during a drop impact, regardless of the structure of the electrode assembly.

[0009] These and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will be described in or will be apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: a battery cell including an electrode assembly and an external material, the external material having a space portion for accommodating the electrode assembly therein and a platform portion from which an electrode tab electrically connected to the electrode assembly protrudes; a protection circuit module electrically connected to the battery cell and positioned on the platform portion; and an insulating portion located between the protection circuit module and the platform portion and between the space portion and the protection circuit module.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion may include: a first region interposed between the protection circuit module and the platform portion and arranged parallel to the platform portion; and a second region connected to the first region at an angle and interposed between the space portion and the protection circuit module.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion may include: an insulating sheet disposed in each of the first and second regions, or disposed in the second region; and an optional adhesive member disposed on at least one of a first surface of the insulating sheet and a second surface facing the first surface.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion may further include a double-sided tape attached to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the insulating sheet and / or one surface of the adhesive member to fix the insulating sheet and / or the adhesive member.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the first region and the second region may be at least partially connected to each other.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the insulation sheet may be disposed in the second region, and the adhesive member may be attached to a first surface of the insulation sheet disposed in the second region and may extend to the first region.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the double-sided tape may be attached to one surface of the adhesive member in the first region.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the insulation sheet may be divided into two separate insulation sheets and disposed in the first and second regions, respectively, and the adhesive member may be integrally bent and attached to a second surface of each of the insulation sheet of the first and second regions.

[0018] According to some embodiments, the double-sided tape may be divided into separate double-sided tapes and respectively attached to the first surface of the insulation sheet corresponding to each of the separate insulation sheets.

[0019] According to some embodiments, an insulation sheet may be provided in each of the first region and the second region, and a double-sided tape may be attached to each of the first surface and the second surface of the insulation sheet.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the insulation sheet disposed in the first region and the insulation sheet disposed in the second region may be cut in a dot shape.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the double-sided tape on the first surface of the insulation sheet may be cut to correspond to the dot shape of the insulation sheet.

[0022] According to some embodiments, at least one-side-connected notch structure may be formed between the insulation sheet disposed in the first region and the insulation sheet disposed in the second region.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the double-sided tapes on the first and second surfaces of the insulation sheet may have a notch structure corresponding to the notch structure of the insulation sheet.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the insulation sheet may be formed of a polycarbonate (PC) material.

[0025] According to some embodiments, an outer end portion of the insulating portion disposed in the second region may be located on the same line as an upper side of the space portion or lower than the upper side of the space portion.

[0026] According to some embodiments, an end portion of the insulating portion in the second region may protrude further than an end portion of the platform portion.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the battery pack may further include a protection member surrounding one surface of the platform portion and at least one surface of the protection circuit module.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the protection circuit module may further include a connector for electrically connecting the battery pack and an external device.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the protection circuit module may be positioned such that the charge and discharge protection device mounted on the protection circuit module faces the platform portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The accompanying drawings attached to this specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure, further describe aspects and features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a side surface of a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figures 3 to 6are a set of front cross-sectional views and side cross-sectional views of an insulating portion before bending according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a smartphone equipped with a secondary battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8A and Figure 8B is a perspective view of a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and Figure 9A and Figure 9B Examples of vehicle bodies and vehicle components are shown to which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general meaning or dictionary meaning, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor can, as his / her own lexicographer, appropriately define the concept of the term to best explain his / her invention.

[0032] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts, aspects, and features of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace or modify the embodiments described herein when filing this application.

[0033] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. When an element or layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers. For example, when a first element is described as being “coupled to” or “connected to” a second element, the first element can be directly coupled to or directly coupled to the second element, or the first element can be indirectly coupled to or indirectly coupled to the second element via one or more intervening elements.

[0034] In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated for clarity. Identical reference numerals represent identical elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure." Phrases such as "at least one of..." and "any of...", when following a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements, not the individual elements in that list. When phrases such as "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one selected from the group of A, B, and C," or "at least one selected from A, B, and C," are used to refer to a list of elements A, B, and C, the phrase may refer to any and all suitable combinations (or subsets) of A, B, and C, such as A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C. As used herein, the term "use" and variations thereof may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize" and variations thereof, respectively. As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," and similar terms are used as terms of approximation, not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values ​​that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize.

[0035] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, second component, second region, second layer or second part.

[0036] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as “under,” “beneath,” “below,” “above,” and “upper,” etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, an element described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “under” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0037] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "an" are also intended to include the plural forms. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprises," "comprising," and / or variations thereof are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of the stated features, integers (entities), steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers (entities), steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0038] In addition, any numerical range disclosed and / or recited herein is intended to include all subranges of the same numerical precision contained within the recited range. For example, a range of "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1.0 and the recited maximum value of 10.0, i.e., having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit recited herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits contained therein, and any minimum numerical limit recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits contained therein. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to amend this specification (including the claims) to explicitly recite any subranges contained within the ranges explicitly recited herein. All such ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification so that amendments to explicitly recite any such subranges will be satisfactory.

[0039] Referring to two compared elements, features, etc. as "the same" may mean that they are "substantially the same." Thus, the phrase "substantially the same" may include situations where there is a low degree of variation (e.g., 5% or less) that is considered in the art. Additionally, when a parameter is referred to as being uniform in a given area, it may mean that it is uniform with respect to the average value.

[0040] Throughout the specification, unless stated otherwise, each element may be in the singular or in the plural.

[0041] When any element is referred to as being disposed on (or located on or positioned) “on (or below)” or “on (or below)” a component, it may mean that the arbitrary element is placed in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of the component, and may also mean that another component may be placed between the component and any arbitrary element disposed on (or located on or positioned) the component.

[0042] In addition, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “coupled,” “linked,” or “connected” to another element, the elements may be directly “coupled,” “linked,” or “connected” to each other, or an intervening element may be present therebetween through which the element is “coupled,” “linked,” or “connected” to the other element. In addition, when a component is referred to as being “electrically coupled” to another component, the component may be directly electrically connected to the other component, or an intervening component may be present therebetween such that the component and the other component are indirectly connected to each other.

[0043] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, when "A and / or B" is stated, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of multiple listed items. When "C to D" is stated, unless otherwise stated, it means C or greater and D or less.

[0044] Typically, information technology (IT) and pouch-type battery packs may have a structure in which components of the battery control circuit, such as a protection circuit module (PCM), a protection module package (PMP), and a battery monitoring system (BMS), are placed on a cell platform. Furthermore, in order to place the battery control circuit board on the cell platform, tape or the like is attached to the cell platform side and the cell space side for the purposes of insulation, reducing drop shock, and the like. If the tape is not attached, the pouch will likely rust due to electrical conduction, and the pouch-type battery cells will be punctured or torn due to the impact of the drop, resulting in a hard short circuit, which may cause incidents such as fire. Regarding the tape attached to prevent this, poron made of a polyurethane material, rubber made of a silicone material, and the like may be used for insulation and impact reduction, and in some cases, tape made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), or Nomex may also be attached to the cells together for additional insulation.

[0045] However, the tape made of poron material and rubber material has a form that absorbs the impact of the drop due to the properties of the material when an impact is applied, and when excessive impact is applied locally, the components of the battery control circuit may be pressed against the space portion, which may affect the electrode assembly and cause a short circuit. Therefore, according to some embodiments, a polycarbonate (PC) material may be applied to the insulating portion, and the insulating portion is placed on the entire surface of the space portion, so that the impact can be distributed over a large area. Due to the properties of the material, even when excessive impact is applied to a local area, the electrode assembly may not be affected.

[0046] Additionally, due to manufacturing processes, it may not be possible to reduce the thickness of the poron and rubber tape to less than 0.2 mm, and it may also be difficult to significantly increase the area of ​​the space portion. However, according to some embodiments, by applying PC material to the insulating portion, the thickness of the tape can be freely adjusted from 0.1 mm by the designer as needed, thereby expanding the area of ​​the space portion and relatively increasing the energy density (ED).

[0047] Furthermore, according to the horizontal burning foam material test, rubber and poron have a flame retardancy rating of HF, which does not meet the current International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) international standard for IT (requiring a V-0 flame retardancy rating). Therefore, additional tape made of a material with a V-0 flame retardant is required to be applied to the spacer side to cover the battery control circuit components and the platform side tape. According to some embodiments, PC material is applied to the insulation portion and has a V-0 flame retardancy rating. Therefore, the required additional tape (protective member) only needs to cover the battery control circuit components and does not need to be attached to the spacer side. As a result, the battery pack design flexibility can be relatively increased, and the thickness of the cell can be relatively increased to the extent that the tape is not attached to the spacer side, which can improve ED.

[0048] Furthermore, with conventional adhesive tape, to reduce the height of the protective circuit module, it is necessary to attach poron or rubber to the space portion and insulating tape made of PET, PI, Nomex, etc. to the platform portion. According to some embodiments, the height of the protective circuit module can be reduced by applying PC material to the insulating portion. If necessary, the PC material insulating sheet can be attached only to the space portion and the adhesive member only to the platform portion. Since a group or package of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) passes through the relevant parts of the protective circuit module, reducing the height of the relevant parts can play a key role in reducing the thickness of equipment (such as IT equipment).

[0049] Hereinafter, this structure according to some embodiments will be described in more detail.

[0050] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery pack 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a side surface of a battery pack 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery pack 100 according to some embodiments may include a battery cell 110, a protection circuit module 120, and an insulating portion 130. According to some embodiments, the battery pack 100 may further include a protection member 140 and / or a cover 150.

[0052] The battery cell 110 may include an electrode assembly 110A (see Figure 2 ), positive electrode cell tab 114, negative electrode cell tab 115, and exterior material 116. Positive electrode cell tab 114 may extend to the exterior of exterior material 116 while being connected to first electrode plate 111 of electrode assembly 110A, and negative electrode cell tab 115 may extend to the exterior of exterior material 116 while being connected to second electrode plate 112 of electrode assembly 110A. Positive electrode cell tab 114 and negative electrode cell tab 115 may each be surrounded by insulating and adhesive tab tape 115 a to relatively improve sealing with exterior material 116 and provide electrical insulation from exterior material 116.

[0053] The outer material 116 may include a first outer portion 116a, a second outer portion 116b, a third outer portion 116c, a fourth outer portion 118, a fifth outer portion 117, and peripheral sealing portions 119a and 119b, and the positive electrode cell tab 114 and the negative electrode cell tab 115 may extend toward the outside of the battery cell 110 through the fourth outer portion 118. According to some embodiments, the fourth outer portion 118 may include or be referred to as a platform portion. Hereinafter, the fourth outer portion 118 is referred to as the platform portion 118.

[0054] According to some embodiments, a battery cell 110 includes an electrode assembly 110A to which cell tabs 114 and 115 are connected. The electrode assembly 110A may include a first electrode plate 111, a second electrode plate 112, and a separator 113 disposed therebetween. According to some embodiments, the first electrode plate 111 may be a positive electrode plate, and the second electrode plate 112 may be a negative electrode plate, or vice versa. According to some embodiments, the electrode assembly 110A may be surrounded by an outer material 116. According to some embodiments, a liquid electrolyte, a gel electrolyte, or a solid electrolyte may be housed within the outer material 116.

[0055] As the positive electrode active material, a compound capable of reversibly intercalating and deintercalating lithium (eg, a lithiated intercalation compound) can be used. For example, at least one composite oxide of lithium and a metal selected from cobalt, manganese, nickel, and combinations thereof can be used.

[0056] The composite oxide may be a lithium transition metal composite oxide, and examples thereof may include lithium nickel-based oxides, lithium cobalt-based oxides, lithium manganese-based oxides, lithium iron phosphate-based compounds, cobalt-free lithium nickel manganese-based oxides, or combinations thereof.

[0057] As an example, a compound represented by any one of the following formulae can be used: Li a A 1-b X b O2-c D c (0.90≤a≤1.8,0≤b≤0.5,0≤c≤0.05);Li a Mn 2-b X b About 4-c D c (0.90≤a≤1.8,0≤b≤0.5,0≤c≤0.05);Li a Ni 1-b-c Co b X c About 2-α D α (0.90≤a≤1.8,0≤b≤0.5,0≤c≤0.5,0<α<2);Li a Ni 1-b- c Mn b X c About 2-α D α (0.90≤a≤1.8,0≤b≤0.5,0≤c≤0.5,0<α<2);Li a Ni b Co c L 1 d G e O2(0.90≤a≤1.8,0≤b≤0.9,0≤c≤0.5,0≤d≤0.5,0≤e≤0.1);Li a NiG b O2(0.90≤a≤1.8,0.001≤b≤0.1);Li a CoG b O2(0.90≤a≤1.8,0.001≤b≤0.1);Li a Mn 1-b G b O2(0.90≤a≤1.8,0.001≤b≤0.1);Li a Mn2G b O4(0.90≤a≤1.8,0.001≤b≤0.1);Li a Mn 1-g G g PO4 (0.90≤a≤1.8, 0≤g≤0.5);Li (3-f) Fe2(PO4)3(0≤f≤2); Li a FePO4 (0.90≤a≤1.8).

[0058] In the above formula: A is Ni, Co, Mn, or a combination thereof; X is Al, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, Fe, Mg, Sr, V, a rare earth element, or a combination thereof; D is O, F, S, P, or a combination thereof; G is Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Mg, La, Ce, Sr, V, or a combination thereof; and L 1 is Mn, Al, or a combination thereof.

[0059] The positive electrode for a lithium secondary battery may include a current collector and a positive electrode active material layer formed on the current collector. The positive electrode active material layer may include a positive electrode active material and may also include a binder and / or a conductive material.

[0060] Based on 100 wt% of the positive electrode active material layer, the content of the positive electrode active material is in the range of about 90 wt% to about 99.5 wt%, and based on 100 wt% of the positive electrode active material layer, the contents of the binder and the conductive material are each in the range of about 0.5 wt% to about 5 wt%.

[0061] The current collector may be aluminum (Al), but is not limited thereto.

[0062] The negative electrode active material may include a material capable of reversibly inserting / extracting lithium ions, lithium metal, an alloy of lithium metal, a material capable of doping and de-doping lithium, or a transition metal oxide.

[0063] The material capable of reversibly inserting / extracting lithium ions may be a carbon-based negative electrode active material, and the carbon-based negative electrode active material may include, for example, crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, or a combination thereof. Examples of crystalline carbon may include graphite (such as natural graphite or artificial graphite), and examples of amorphous carbon may include soft carbon, hard carbon, pitch carbide, mesophase pitch carbide, sintered coke, etc.

[0064] A Si-based negative electrode active material or a Sn-based negative electrode active material may be used as the material capable of doping and de-doping lithium. The Si-based negative electrode active material may be silicon, a silicon-carbon composite, SiO x (0 < x < 2), a Si-based alloy, or a combination thereof.

[0065] The silicon-carbon composite may be a composite of silicon and amorphous carbon. According to some embodiments, the silicon-carbon composite may be in the form of silicon particles and amorphous carbon coated on the surface of the silicon particles.

[0066] The silicon-carbon composite may also include crystalline carbon. For example, the silicon-carbon composite may include a core containing crystalline carbon and silicon particles and an amorphous carbon coating layer on the surface of the core.

[0067] A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery may include a current collector and a negative electrode active material layer on the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer may include a negative electrode active material and may further include a binder and / or a conductive material.

[0068] For example, the negative electrode active material layer may include about 90 wt % to about 99 wt % of the negative electrode active material, about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt % of the binder, and about 0 wt % to about 5 wt % of the conductive material.

[0069] As the binder, a non-aqueous binder, an aqueous binder, a dry binder, or a combination thereof may be used. When an aqueous binder is used as the negative electrode binder, a cellulose compound that can impart viscosity may also be included.

[0070] As the negative electrode current collector, one selected from the group consisting of copper foil, nickel foil, stainless steel foil, titanium foil, nickel foam, copper foam, a conductive metal-coated polymer substrate, and combinations thereof may be used.

[0071] An electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery may include a nonaqueous organic solvent and a lithium salt.

[0072] The non-aqueous organic solvent acts as a medium through which ions involved in the electrochemical reaction of the battery can move.

[0073] The non-aqueous organic solvent may be a carbonate-based solvent, an ester-based solvent, an ether-based solvent, a ketone-based solvent, an alcohol-based solvent, or an aprotic solvent, and may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0074] In addition, when a carbonate-based solvent is used, a mixture of a cyclic carbonate and a chain carbonate may be used.

[0075] Depending on the type of lithium secondary battery, a separator may be present between the first electrode plate (e.g., the negative electrode) and the second electrode plate (e.g., the positive electrode). Polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, or a multilayer film of two or more layers thereof may be used as the separator.

[0076] The separator may include a porous substrate and a coating layer including an organic material, an inorganic material, or a combination thereof on one or both surfaces of the porous substrate.

[0077] The organic material may include a polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymer or a (meth)acrylic polymer.

[0078] The inorganic material may include inorganic particles selected from Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, SnO2, CeO2, MgO, NiO, CaO, GaO, ZnO, ZrO2, Y2O3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3, Mg(OH)2, boehmite, and combinations thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0079] The organic material and the inorganic material may be mixed in one coating layer or may be in the form of a coating layer containing an organic material and a coating layer containing an inorganic material stacked on each other.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the electrode assembly 110A may be housed in the exterior material 116 in a form surrounded by the first exterior portion 116a, the second exterior portion 116b, the third exterior portion 116c, and the fourth exterior portion 118. That is, the battery pack 100 may include a space portion 116A in which the electrode assembly 110A is housed, and a platform portion 118 from which the cell tabs 114 and 115 electrically connected to the electrode assembly 110A protrude. Hereinafter, the interior of the exterior material 116 in which the electrode assembly 110A is housed is referred to as the space portion 116A.

[0081] The outer material 116 protects the electrode assembly 110A from the external environment. To this end, in addition to the peripheral sealing portions 119a and 119b, the fourth outer portion 118 may also be sealed. According to some embodiments, the fourth outer portion 118 may also include an area that is generally sealed from the first outer portion 116a. According to some embodiments, the fourth outer portion 118 may refer to an area that is sealed after extending forward from the third outer portion 116c and an area that is sealed after extending forward from the first outer portion 116a.

[0082] According to some embodiments, the outer material 116 may include or be referred to as a laminated outer material formed by providing an insulating layer on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the central metal film. According to some embodiments, the first outer portion 116a may be located below the electrode assembly 110A, and the second outer portion 116b may be located above the electrode assembly 110A, that is, above the first outer portion 116a. In addition, the third outer portion 116c may be located in front of the second outer portion 116b.

[0083] According to some embodiments, the fourth outer portion is referred to as the platform portion 118 as described above and may extend from the third outer portion 116c and the first outer portion 116a, respectively, and the positive electrode cell tab 114 and the negative electrode cell tab 115 may pass through the fourth outer portion. According to some embodiments, the plane of the platform portion 118 may be substantially parallel to the plane of the first outer portion 116a and / or the plane of the second outer portion 116b, while being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the third outer portion 116c. According to some embodiments, a curved portion 116d may be further provided between the second outer portion 116b and the third outer portion 116c. According to some embodiments, the peripheral sealing portions 119a and 119b may extend to both sides of the platform portion 118 and may be folded upward.

[0084] According to some embodiments, the protection circuit module 120 may be mounted on the battery cell 110. According to some embodiments, the protection circuit module 120 may be mounted on the platform portion 118 of the battery cell 110. The protection circuit module 120 may include a printed circuit board 121 having a circuit pattern, a positive electrode welding tab to which the positive electrode cell tab 114 is inserted or mounted and welded, a negative electrode welding tab to which the negative electrode cell tab 115 is inserted or mounted and welded, a charge and discharge protection device (e.g., an integrated circuit, a switching element, a resistor, a sensor, etc.) 124, and a connector 125.

[0085] The protection circuit module 120 can monitor the charge and discharge voltage, charge and discharge current, and / or temperature of the battery cell 110 to protect the battery cell 110 from overcharging and over-discharging. The connector 125 can be connected to an external electronic device so that the battery cell 110 can be charged or discharged. According to some embodiments, the connector 125 of the protection circuit module 120 can extend in the longitudinal direction of the printed circuit board 121. According to some embodiments, the connector 125 can be bent in various forms and then electrically connected to the electronic device.

[0086] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may be located between the protection circuit module 120 and the platform portion 118 and between the space portion 116A and the protection circuit module 120. According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may include a first region 130 a disposed between the protection circuit module 120 and the platform portion 118 and arranged parallel to the platform portion 118, and a second region 130 b connected to the first region 130 a at an angle (e.g., between about 60 degrees and about 120 degrees) and disposed between the space portion 116A and the protection circuit module 120.

[0087] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may be provided in an approximately L-shape. In addition, according to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may include a first region 130a and a second region 130b, an insulating sheet 131 provided in the first region 130a or the second region 130b, and an adhesive member 132 provided on at least one of a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface of the insulating sheet 131. A detailed description of the insulating portion 130 will be described later.

[0088] According to some embodiments, the protective member 140 may surround the platform portion 118 and the protection circuit module 120 to insulate the protection circuit module 120 from the external environment and protect the battery cells 110 from external impact. According to some embodiments, the protective member 140 may cover one surface of the platform portion 118 and at least one surface of the protection circuit module 120.

[0089] Reference Figure 2 , the protective member 140 may be bent at least four times and may extend from the lower surface of the platform portion 118 to the upper surface of the platform portion 118. The protective member 140 may be located on the lower surface of the platform portion 118, the side surfaces of the protective circuit module 120, the upper portion of the protective circuit module 120, and the front surface of the insulating portion 130 between the protective circuit module 120 and the space portion 116A, so as to surround the platform portion 118 and the protective circuit module 120. According to some embodiments, the protective member 140 may have a hole through which a printed circuit board passes. According to some embodiments, the protective member 140 may include a first region 140a attached to the lower surface of the platform portion 118 and a second region 140b extending from the first region 140a and located on one side surface of the protective circuit module 120 so as to be parallel to the insulating portion 130. In addition, the protective member 140 may include a third region 140c and a fourth region 140d, the third region 140c extending from the second region 140b and located on the upper side of the protective circuit module 120 so as to be parallel to the second outer portion 116b, and the fourth region 140d extending from the third region 140c and located between the insulating portion 130 and the other side surface of the protective circuit module 120. In addition, the protective member 140 may include a fifth region 140e extending from the fourth region 140d and located between the platform portion 118 and the lower side of the protective circuit module 120. The fifth region 140e may be located on an upper surface of the first region 130a of the insulating portion 130, which is positioned on the upper surface of the platform portion 118.

[0090] According to some embodiments, the protection circuit module 120 may be housed in a cavity 145 disposed between the third region 140c and the fifth region 140e of the protection member 140 and between the second region 140b and the fourth region 140d of the protection member 140. The cavity 145 may have a horizontal width and a vertical width sufficient to house the protection circuit module 120 including the printed circuit board 121 and the charge and discharge protection device 124.

[0091] Thus, by covering the protective circuit module 120 and the cell tabs 114 and 115, the protective member 140 can ensure insulation of the protective circuit module 120 and the cell tabs 114 and 115. Furthermore, conventional protective members 140 are arranged to extend from the platform portion 118 to the upper surface of the battery cell 110 (to the second outer portion), thus limiting their overall size. However, according to some embodiments, the upper surface (the second outer portion) of the battery cell 110 is not covered by the protective member 140, thereby enabling a thinner structure.

[0092] The cover 150 may include side covers 151 and 152 that cover and protect the side peripheries of the battery cells 110, and a rear cover 153 that covers and protects the rear peripheries of the battery cells 110. According to some embodiments, the side covers 151 and 152 may respectively surround the peripheral sealing portions 119a and 119b of the battery cells 110, and the rear cover 153 may surround the fifth outer portion 117 of the battery cells 110, so that the battery cells 110 can be protected from external impacts by the side covers 151 and 152 and the rear cover 153.

[0093] Figures 3 to 6 are a set of front cross-sectional views and side cross-sectional views of the insulating portion 130 before bending according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 3 to 6 Various embodiments of the insulating portion 130 are described.

[0094] The insulating portion 130 may be placed on the platform portion 118 and the third outer portion 116 c of the outer material 116 . According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may be provided with an insulating material including polycarbonate (PC). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the insulating portion 130 may be provided with an insulating material that can be thinned to a set thickness and still be rigid, such as polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene (PE).

[0095] According to some embodiments, the first region 130a of the insulating portion 130 may be located on the platform portion 118 of the outer material 116, and the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130 may be located on the third outer portion 116c of the outer material 116. According to some embodiments, the end of the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130 may be aligned with or lower than the second outer portion 116b of the outer material 116. According to some embodiments, the height of the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130 may be less than or equal to the height of the third outer portion 116c. According to some embodiments, the height of the third outer portion 116c may be the height to the top of the curved portion 116d connected to the second outer portion 116b. In other words, the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130 may not protrude further than the second outer portion 116b. According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may adhere to the space portion 116A as much as possible while not protruding further than the outer material 116.

[0096] In some embodiments, the length d1 between the end of the first region 130a of the insulating portion 130 and the end of the platform portion 118 may be greater than or equal to 1 mm.

[0097] According to some embodiments, the insulating portion 130 may further include a double-sided tape 133 attached to at least one of the first surface A and the second surface B of the insulating sheet 131 and / or one surface of the adhesive member 132 to fix the insulating sheet 131 and / or the adhesive member 132. Here, the first surface A may refer to a surface that contacts the space portion 116A and the platform portion 118 during assembly, and the second surface B may refer to a surface opposite to the first surface A.

[0098] Figure 3 (a) in FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 130 which is not bent before the double-sided tape 133 is attached, and shows the second surface B in a state where the double-sided tape 133 is not attached. Figure 3 (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 130 that is not bent after the double-sided tape 133 is attached, and in the drawing, the left side may be the second surface B and the right side may be the first surface A. Depending on the embodiment, the direction may be reversed during assembly.

[0099] Reference Figure 3 , the insulating sheet 131 may be disposed in the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130. In addition, the adhesive member 132 may be attached to the first surface A of the insulating sheet 131 disposed in the second region 130b of the insulating portion 130, and may extend to the first region 130a. The insulating portion 130 may be bent at a bent portion 132a between the first region 130a and the second region 130b during assembly of the battery cell 110. At this time, the adhesive member 132 may be bent in an approximately "L" shape. In addition, according to some embodiments, the double-sided tape 133 may be attached to one surface (at the second surface side) of the adhesive member 132 in the first region 130a. In this case, according to some embodiments, the double-sided tape 133 may also be attached to at least a portion of the second surface of the insulating sheet 131. In Figure 2 Shown in Figure 3 In this structure, insulating sheet 131 is not provided in first region 130a on the side of platform portion 118, thereby reducing the height of protective circuit module 120. According to some embodiments, insulating sheet 131 may have a thickness of approximately 0.10 mm to approximately 0.20 mm, adhesive member 132 may have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm, and double-sided tape 133 may have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm. In addition, insulating sheet 131 may be formed of PC material, and adhesive member 132 may be formed of PET material.

[0100] Figure 4(a) in FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 230 which is not bent before the double-sided tape 233 is attached, and shows the first surface A in a state where the double-sided tape 233 is not attached. Figure 4 (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 230 that is not bent after the double-sided tape 233 is attached, and in the drawing, the left side may be the second surface B and the right side may be the first surface A. Depending on the embodiment, the direction may be reversed during assembly.

[0101] Reference Figure 4 , the insulating sheet 231 provided in the first region 230a and the second region 230b can be cut in a dot shape. Therefore, it is easier to bend materials that may not be easy to bend. In this case, the double-sided tape 233 can be attached to the first surface A and the second surface B of the insulating sheet 231. According to some embodiments, the double-sided tape 233 of the first surface A of the insulating sheet 231 can be cut to correspond to the dot shape of the insulating sheet 231. The insulating portion 230 can be bent at the bending portion 231a between the first region 230a and the second region 230b during assembly of the battery cell 110. In this case, the double-sided tape 233 of the insulating sheet 231 and the second surface B can be bent in an approximately "L" shape. According to some embodiments, the insulating sheet 231 can have a thickness of approximately 0.10 mm to approximately 0.20 mm, and the double-sided tape 233 can have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm. In addition, the insulating sheet 231 can be formed of PC material.

[0102] Figure 5 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 330 which is not bent before the double-sided tape 333 is attached, and shows the first surface A or the second surface B in a state where the double-sided tape 333 is not attached. Figure 5 (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 330 that is not bent after the double-sided tape 333 is attached, and in the drawing, the left side may be the second surface B and the right side may be the first surface A. Depending on the embodiment, the direction may be reversed during assembly.

[0103] Reference Figure 5, a notch structure connected on at least one side can be formed between the insulating sheet 331 provided in the first region 330a and the second region 330b. Therefore, it is easier to bend materials that may not be easily bent. In this case, double-sided tape 333 can be attached to the first surface A and the second surface B of the insulating sheet 331. The double-sided tape 333 on the first surface A and the second surface B of the insulating sheet 331 has a notch structure corresponding to the notch structure of the insulating sheet 331. The insulating portion 330 can be bent at the bending portion 331a between the first region 330a and the second region 330b during assembly of the battery cell 110. In this case, the insulating sheet 331 and the double-sided tape 333 on the first surface A or the second surface B can be bent in an approximately "L" shape. According to some embodiments, the insulating sheet 331 can have a thickness of approximately 0.10 mm to approximately 0.20 mm, and the double-sided tape 333 can have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm. In addition, the insulating sheet 331 can be formed of PC material.

[0104] Figure 6 (a) in FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the insulating portion 430 that is not bent before the double-sided tape 433 is attached, and shows the first surface A in a state where the double-sided tape 433 is not attached. Figure 6 (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the unbent insulating portion 430 after the double-sided tape 433 is attached, and in the drawing, the left side may be the second surface B and the right side may be the first surface A. Depending on the embodiment, the direction may be reversed during assembly.

[0105] Reference Figure 6 , the insulating sheets 431 can be separated and spaced apart and arranged in the first region 430a and the second region 430b, respectively. The adhesive member 432 can be integrally bent and attached to the second surface B of each of the insulating sheets 431 in the first region 430a and the insulating sheets 431 in the second region 430b. Thus, it is easier to bend materials that may not be easily bent. According to some embodiments, the double-sided tape 433 can be separately attached to each of the first surfaces of the insulating sheets 431 corresponding to each of the separate insulating sheets 431. The insulating portion 430 can be bent at the bent portion 432a between the first region 430a and the second region 430b during assembly of the battery cell 110. At this time, the adhesive member 432 can be bent in an approximately "L" shape. According to some embodiments, the insulating sheet 431 can have a thickness of approximately 0.10 mm to approximately 0.20 mm, the adhesive member 432 can have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm, and the double-sided tape 433 can have a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm. In addition, the insulating sheet 431 may be formed of a PC material, and the adhesive member 432 may be formed of a PET material.

[0106] As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, by replacing the insulating portions of the space portion 116A and platform portion 118, which are made of poron or rubber, used in IT and pouch-type battery packs with an insulating portion 130 made of PC, the battery pack structure can be simplified by eliminating the need to attach additional tape made of PET, PI, PP, etc. Furthermore, since the thickness can be reduced compared to conventional insulating portions, the size of the space portion 116A can be expanded, and the battery cells 110 can be relatively increased in size. Furthermore, regardless of the electrode assembly structure of the pouch-type cells (wound, stacked, etc.), the risk of short-circuiting the electrode assembly can be suppressed by preventing the space portion 116A from being crushed during a drop impact. Furthermore, by reducing the height of the protection circuit module 120 and eliminating the need to attach tape around the space portion, a thinner structure is possible compared to conventional insulating portions.

[0107] That is, the present disclosure can provide a battery pack 100 capable of dispersing a drop shock by inserting an insulating portion 130 including an insulating sheet 131 made of a PC material and a protective circuit module 120 between the space portion 116A and the platform portion 118. In addition, the present disclosure can provide a battery pack 100 capable of reducing thickness by thinning the insulating portion 130.

[0108] Figure 7 FIG is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating a smartphone equipped with a secondary battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown in , the secondary battery 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be a small battery installed in a small portable device (such as a smartphone 1000). In this case, because the example secondary battery 10 has a structure that can relatively increase the capacity of the secondary battery 10 while reducing its internal structure, the secondary battery 10 can be a battery suitable for a small portable device. On the other hand, in this specification, the terms "secondary battery" and "battery" have the same meaning and are described differently for convenience of description.

[0109] In addition, the secondary battery according to the above-described embodiment can be used to manufacture a battery pack by relatively increasing its size.

[0110] Figure 8A and Figure 8B A perspective view of an example of the battery pack 30 is shown.

[0111] The battery pack 30 may include a plurality of battery modules 20 and a housing 31 for accommodating the plurality of battery modules 20. For example, the housing 31 may include a first housing 31-1 and a second housing 31-2 coupled in opposite directions by the plurality of battery modules 20. The plurality of battery modules 20 may be electrically connected to each other using bus bars 25-1, and the plurality of battery modules 20 may be electrically connected to each other in a series / parallel or series-parallel hybrid method to obtain a desired (e.g., required) electrical output.

[0112] Figure 9A and Figure 9B Perspective and side views of examples of a vehicle body 40 and vehicle components are shown.

[0113] exist Figure 9A , the battery pack 31 may include a pack cover 31-1 that is part of an underbody 41 and a pack frame 31-2 that is located below the underbody 41. The pack frame 31-2 and the pack cover 31-1 may be integrally formed with a vehicle floor 42. The underbody 41 separates the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and the pack frame 31-2 may be located outside the vehicle.

[0114] Reference Figure 9B , the vehicle 50 can be formed by combining additional components such as a hood 51 at the front of the vehicle and fenders 52 located at the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively, to the vehicle body 40. The vehicle 50 can include a battery pack 31 including a battery pack cover 31-1 and a pack frame 31-2, and the battery pack 31 can be coupled to the vehicle body 40.

[0115] According to the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided that can relatively increase the size of a cell space and relatively increase capacity by reducing the thickness of tape applied to the cell space and the platform, and be overall thinned by reducing the thickness of the tape on the protection circuit module side.

[0116] In addition, according to the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided that can mitigate the risk of short circuiting of an electrode assembly by preventing a cell space from being compressed during a drop impact, regardless of the structure of the electrode assembly.

[0117] However, aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described aspects and features, and other aspects and features not explicitly described herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0118] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings showing aspects of the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes within the technical spirit of the present disclosure and the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: a battery cell including an electrode assembly and an exterior material having a space portion and a platform portion, the space portion accommodating the electrode assembly therein, an electrode tab electrically connected to the electrode assembly protruding from the platform portion; a protection circuit module electrically connected to the battery cell and disposed on the platform portion; as well as The insulating portion is located between the protection circuit module and the platform portion and between the space portion and the protection circuit module.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The insulating portion comprises: a first region disposed between the protection circuit module and the platform portion and arranged parallel to the platform portion; and The second region is connected to the first region at a certain angle and is interposed between the space portion and the protection circuit module.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein: The insulating portion comprises: an insulating sheet located in each of the first region and the second region, or located in the second region; and An optional adhesive member is located on at least one of the first surface of the insulation sheet and a second surface facing the first surface.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: The insulating portion further includes a double-sided tape attached to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the insulating sheet and / or one surface of the adhesive member to fix the insulating sheet and / or the adhesive member.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein: The first region and the second region are at least partially connected to each other.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The insulating sheet is located in the second region, and The adhesive member is attached to the first surface of the insulation sheet disposed in the second region and extends to the first region.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein: The double-sided tape is attached to one surface of the adhesive member in the first region.

8. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The insulating sheet is divided into two separate insulating sheets and is disposed in the first region and the second region, respectively. The adhesive member is integrally bent and attached to the second surface of each of the insulating sheet of the first region and the insulating sheet of the second region.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein: The double-sided tape is divided into separate double-sided tapes and is respectively attached to the first surface of the insulation sheet corresponding to each separate insulation sheet.

10. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The insulating sheet is located in each of the first region and the second region, and The double-sided tape is attached to each of the first surface and the second surface of the insulation sheet.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein: The insulating sheet in the first region and the insulating sheet in the second region are cut in a dot shape.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein: The double-sided tape on the first surface of the insulation sheet is cut to correspond to the dot shape of the insulation sheet.

13. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein: At least one-side connected notch structure is formed between the insulating sheet in the first region and the insulating sheet in the second region.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13, wherein: The double-sided tape on the first surface and the second surface of the insulation sheet has a notch structure corresponding to the notch structure of the insulation sheet.

15. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein The insulating sheet is formed of a polycarbonate material.

16. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: An outer end portion of the insulating portion in the second region is located on the same line as an upper side of the space portion or is lower than an upper side of the space portion.

17. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: An end portion of the insulating portion in the first region protrudes further than an end portion of the platform portion. 18 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising a protection member surrounding one surface of the platform portion and at least one surface of the protection circuit module.

19. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The protection circuit module further includes a connector for electrically connecting the battery pack and an external device.

20. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein The protection circuit module is positioned so that the charge and discharge protection device mounted on the protection circuit module faces the platform portion.

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